30 Stories for 30 Years – Lois
Advanced Kennel volunteer Lois shares how PADS dog Damon helps put her mind and body at ease.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Jennifer
PADS helped give me my confidence back. I met people I am still friends with to this day! Most of all, PADS connected me with a very special Golden Retriever – PADS Released Dog Saffron!
30 Stories for 30 Years – The McMillans
Many years ago, 18, I think, our neighbour up the road was a vet for PADS. Meeting them was how it all started for our family. PADS is the best program for anyone to get involved with, it changed our lives forever. Thank you. One day we will be back to volunteer again.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Nicole
During puppy raising, Koltan had a huge will to please. He loved to work and learn, and showed a great aptitude for receiving and giving affection to others. Koltan has a presence about him that brings calmness and reassurance to those he interacts with. With his gentle, calm and old soul demeanor, all anyone had to do was to meet him once and they fell in love with him. In the end, it was these qualities that helped determine his path to become an Accredited Facility Dog and he was placed at Surrey Memorial Hospital as a Trauma Dog.
PADS Audited Financial Statements – 2017
The 2017 PADS Audited Financial Statements were prepared by Kemp Harvey Group, Chartered Professional Accountants.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Laurie & Athens
Athens was our very first PADS dog and, although we had always raised Goldens for over 30 years, we did not know how much more enriched our lives would become upon his addition to our home. Most dogs like Athens are fortunate to have one demanding career but little did we realize that he was going to add another one to his curriculum vitae.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Lisa & Rowan
Back in 2008, I became partners with my first PADS Accredited Facility Dog (AFD), Rowan, a beautiful Golden Retriever. As a Registered Nurse, Rowan and I worked together with clients of all ages through my private practice nursing company, INSPIRE Animal Assisted Therapy. We worked with people with various disabilities and challenges to help them regain, develop, or maintain activities of daily living, help promote fine and gross motor skills, work on memory and cognition, and engage and stimulate social interactions. Rowan was a ROCKSTAR!
30 Stories for 30 Years – Kelsey & Arrow
They say expecting parents go through a “nesting process” before baby arrives. Well, no human babies here but before I brought my sweet little Puppy-in-Training Arrow home in September 2015, I nested for what would become the most heartful endeavour I’d ever embarked upon in my 30 years of life so far.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Carol Ann & Barley
Barley gave me freedom. To go for a walk by myself, to go shopping, to travel, to continue working when part of my job was going from building to building across campus. I was never alone because I had Barley with me. No longer did people stare at me because I was in a wheelchair. They stared at Barley and his amazing ability to pull. No longer the lady in the wheelchair going slow, I was the lady with the dog everyone loved and he brought a smile to their faces.
OPEN HOUSE – 2017
PADS OPEN HOUSE 2017 The annual PADS Open House happened on Saturday, June 10th, 2017. Despite the rain, the smell of hot dogs and Ken’s famous chili filled the air as guests and dog lovers explored the PADS campus. Luckily the sun came out just in time for our...30 Stories for 30 Years – Kim & Caber
I could write a book about Caber. The book would begin with an idea. The idea that a dog could help victims of crime in ways that humans could not. Like some ideas that seem to fizzle, this idea stayed front and centre in my mind until I did something about it.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Nola
One day, on the way to cuddling, I stopped at the hospital to visit my beloved uncle. While I was there, the Doctor advised my uncle that his cancer was terminal. After crying my heart out I continued to puppy cuddle. When I stepped into little Quaker’s kennel he sat there staring intently into my face, then when I sat down with him he licked a tear off my face then pressed hard against my body as he slid into my lap. He continued looking into my eyes and I believe he could feel my pain and was saying “I’m here for you”.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Donna & Kane
Kane has not only assisted countless victims of crime and tragedy in our community for the Moose Jaw Police Service and the Moose Jaw RCMP, but he has provided an extra something special for our police service without any judgement or hesitation.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Nicole & Leroy
For me, it was a chance to meet someone who was volunteering their time raising a puppy, knowing they would be giving it up to help someone.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Lindsey & Silky
At first, I thought I wanted to be an Education Assistant, because of how much I love being in the schools (Silky loves all the attention she gets from the kids, too!) After spending two years back at school myself, as a student, I realized how much more I can do to help other people in wheelchairs now that I have Silky by my side.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Zosia & Rumor
In my previous life as a physiotherapist, my patients used to tell me that when you sit in a wheelchair people don’t talk to you. I didn’t really believe it until the first time I was out in public in a chair.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Nicole & Vespa
Vespa was a hard worker, and yet so easy going. She enjoyed a night out on the town or an evening in to nap when I wasn’t feeling well. She was quite happy to accompany wherever I went and we were never at any loss for people to talk to. People loved to approach us and ask questions or chat and I certainly didn’t mind chatting with strangers. She was a great conversation starter.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Christiana & Murphy
Murphy was serious about her alert work. She loved those treats, which meant never having to miss a knock at the door, phone call, any alarm, or the minute my morning coffee finished percolating.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Vivian & Milan
I received PADS Accredited Facility Dog Milan in July of 2016. The work that she does with my clients and the enormous impact that she has had on my workplace goes with out saying. She is exactly as advertised.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Meredith
About seven years ago we were in a great period of transition; jobs were changing and our hopes of having a family were dashed by illness and long adoption waiting lists. While out walking one day, we spotted a woman walking a yellow lab with a bright yellow cape. We saw the PADS logo and started talking about what it would be like to give back to the community like that.
30 Stories for 30 Years – Kenn & Riddle
Riddle can think, and I’d argue he can even reason. Riddle reads how I feel, where I hurt, and when my neural pathways fail me. When the world starts to overwhelm me and my mind and body start to fatigue, Riddle is watching, ready to step forward and nudge me. That is special. That is Riddle.
PADS Audited Financial Statements – February 2016
The 2016 PADS Audited Financial Statements were prepared by Kemp Harvey Group, Chartered Professional Accountants.
PADS Needs Volunteers To Help Give The Gift Of Independence This Christmas
PADS’ puppy-raisers play a pivotal role in matching as many dogs with clients as possible. Responsible for up to the first two years of a puppy-in-training’s career, being a puppy-raiser is one of the most fulfilling ways to make a difference in someone else’s life.